Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1887-09-02
TRAVELS IN EUROPE.

ages labeled and put upon the mental shelf,
referred TO in my last letter, find several
marked as follows: Paris Market and flow
ers, Gardens OF Luxembourg, Tuieries, Zoo
logical Garden, Palaces, Catacombs, Hotel
des Invaides, Pere la Chaise, &C., &c. We
will take one at a time and give a piano.
ramic view, as time will permit nothing
more, and, BESIDES there are plenty of de-
scriptive books within your reach which
will give you a much better account than
any thing can write. First, the market.
This we found very interesting, as we not
only had fine display of the products of
the country, but also got an insight into the
habits and mode of life of the peasantry and
poorer classes in the great city. After view
ing the fish, of which they have very beau.
tiful varieties, the meat market, vegetables,
fruits, &c, our guide took us in among the
flowers. Never have | seen so extensive
display of such exquisite flowers anywhere
in the world. Then the arrangement Of
them is SO perfect-everywhe is seen the
dainty touch of the French taste. One of
their speciaties is the wedding bouquet, tor
in France flowers play an important part
on all such occasions, and Thursday and
Saturday being the usual days for marriages
the flower market is stocked on those days
with bouquets of all styles aud prices |
wish could stop TO describe some Of the
stalls we saw, for even now | seem to detect
the odor Of the dew-sprinkled rose, the lily
of-the- valley, the heliotrope, the mignionette,
and the spicy pink, all so deity mingled
with the delicate fern, or their own rich
green leaves, as to suggest the thought that
they were newly let fall by angel hands,
caught in the dew-drops, or had gided
down on the earliest sunbeams, as glad
surprise for US earth-born children, and as
specimen of the beauty of the "King's Gar
den" in the Beautiful City Above.
We turned from the flowers To another
equally interesting sight. Cl ,sely arranged,
and side by side, on one of the usual market
stands, were dozens OF plates filled with
cold vegetables, bread, meat-"scraps," as
we were told, which are daily collected
| from hotels, boarding and private houses
bought, not given, and then sold to the poor
| for one, two or three centimes according To
| the quantity of meat. A centime, you know,
is the fifth of a penny, or our cent, so the
| charge is within the reach Of the very poor
| est One poor man stood scanning these
| plates in the most critical manner, anxious
| to secure the largest amount OF strength
| giving food for his money. | thought of
| the proverb that a "French family would
| live on what an American household would
waste" Iwish we could organize such a
/ system here, il would help the "Charity AS
| socations," and would make it positive
pleasure TO house.keepers to see things
aoasted in the kitchen
| | must tell you that we found it greatly
to our advantage TO take guide in Paris,
as we were thus enabled TO see inteligently
twice as much in day as we shsuld have
done alone, losing no time in inquiries or
uncertainty. 1t is important To get a guide
known 10 the hotel, otherwise strangers will
be much imposed upon. Ours was an in
tcligent old French gentlemen, who knew
the city and the history Of his country
| thoroughly honest and an agreeable com
paniou. OF course we drove, everybody
drives in Paris, and he sat with the coach
man, thus leaving US our four seats in the
carriage.
The Palace and Gardens of Luxembourg
came next in order This Palace was built
in the 10Th century, was used as a prison
during the Revolution, and is now used fol
the Senate Chamber. The rssms occupied
by Marie de Medecis are shown, and arc
very elegant in their appointments, also heI
oratory and chapel. Those Medecis had
need OF an unusual number Of these last, fol
US you remember they were bad all through
| luC kdiuCns arc thN uiOob
in Paris Next will tell you of the Palace
and Garden OF the ruileries, commenced BY
Catharine de Medecis, who desired to builC
here and connect the editice with the Palac,
of the Louvre. This was not, however, nc
complshed till undertaken by Napoleon
The gardens here, now public park, are 1
place of great resort, open air concerts be
ing given in the afternoons. The fountains
aud statuary are magniticent--the iorme
probably the largest in the world. Tht
grounds cover eighty acres, anu from tbs
pOrlicO in front fine view is given of Il,
Place de la Concorde, Indeed, these two
places are so connected by shaded avenue:
that IL Is difficult to tell where the one be
gus and the other ends, and upon seconC
thought believe the magnificent fountain
is III the Pace de la COncOrde, and not il
the ruleries. The site of the latter wa.
formerly occupied by the tutiiers, or roof
Tile makers, hence the name. The Place dt
Ia Cuncor le was the scene of many execu-
tons by the guilotine; here poor Marie
| Anionelte met her fate, also Charlotte Cor
day, Dlnton, Robesperrr, Louis XIV AMI
| others. Various statues TO the old crowned
heads were once here, but have been de
mu.islIei, and replaced by statue OF Lib
erty. Everywhere throughout the city are
evidences ol the great uprising, ard OF the
| fury oi the mob rs they tore down every
thing suggestive Of royalty, and substituted
| the motto "Liberte, Egalite, Fraterniete. Ii
| is really touching 10 see the statue 10 the
lost provinces, Alsace and Lorraine, draped
in mourning and decked in funeral wreathes,
staining sad and detected as though appeal
ing ~ their countrymen 10 liberate them
| lroai their bondage. These emblems OF
| grief are continually renewed SO that the
next generation will be no better reconciled
Is their loss than is the present. The Palais
| Il yal comes next-now used for shops, res
tlurants, offices, &c. Between twenty and
thirty bridges cross the Seine, just as they
| do the Rh0ne in Geneva, OF which | have
| already told you. Our visit " the Pantheon
was full UI interest The architecture Oi
tbs building aud its dome suggested to Us
o; own Capital at Washington, that is the
critrai part OF 1t, the Pantheon having u.s.
wniss Here we descended 10 the crypt,
al saw the burial place Of many Of tbs H.
| iu,.rious dead. Among Others that vi VIC
TOR Hugo The affection aud honor in Which
| hc was held by the people ol France WAS
dem 1uslrated by their offerings cast upon
his tomb, where they were piled up literal y
Toy the cart load. These are not like our
| hpra offerings, but are composed ol im'nDr
tei,es sometimes, but principally Of finc gas
beads, white and black, wrought into all
kinds Of devices, the same as those used by
the French in New Orleans. rhis bead
work seems TO be quite all important indus
try in Paris, aud the streets leading 10 Pere
ia Unase, Montmaitre, AMI other cemeier;es
are lined with small shops flied with
wrcalhes, crosses, anchors, DC, which are
constantly purchased by the people TO lay
ftl,,
leads me 10 the Hotel DIES Invalides, and the
L fnmh Of Nnnnlnnn They call evervlhinu